If it's not written down, it didn't happen... or how to solve future mysteries.

If your processes, designs, and decisions live only in people’s heads, they might as well not exist. Brains, for all their brilliance, are terrible at long-term storage.

Software engineering already demands a lot of brainpower, what with debugging, architecture, business logic, context switching... the list goes on. If you rely solely on memory to keep track of everything, you’re setting yourself up for a world of pain.

🧠 Memory fails. Documentation doesn't.

Write everything down; not because you’re forgetful, but because you’re smart enough not to rely on memory alone.

But writing isn’t just for record-keeping. When you write, you also:
- Make ideas concrete
- Unburden your mind for problem-solving
- Build team memory, not just personal notes
- Leave a trail of reasoning for future developers (including future-you)

So how do you make it a habit?

✅ After a call or decision, write things down right away.
✅ Keep it short and clear
✅ Use visuals (even hand-drawn doodles help)
✅ Store it somewhere everyone can find it (shared doc, pinned Slack message, etc.)
✅ Make it part of your workflow, not an afterthought

Don’t treat documentation as overhead. It’s part of your work. It’s how you ensure the why behind decisions never gets lost.

Six months from now, when someone asks why something was done, you’ll have the answer and your team (and future self) will thank you.